Jasmine strode forward, her heels clicking like gunshots across the polished marble floor, eyes blazing with barely restrained fury as she confronted Henry Dupont.“Careful, Henry,” she warned, her voice icy but edged with fire.“Accusations without proof could burn you alive.”Henry threw his head back and laughed bitterly, the sound cutting through the murmurs of anticipation like a razor blade.“Oh, isn't she priceless?” He swung around to face the crowd, his voice rising sharply, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear clearly.“Do you all hear this nonsense? Last month, Kingston Pharmaceutical’s chief of medical research and his elite team lost all faith in Jasmine Kingston's sham leadership and abandoned ship. Who could blame them?”“Those brilliant minds took the SkinDew patent—legally theirs—and fled to Kane Pharmaceutical.”“They perfected SkinDew there, away from Jasmine's incompetence!” Henry sneered dramatically, relishing every scathing word.He jabbed an accusing f

Some middle-aged men suddenly appeared, calling urgently for Kelly.“Miss Kingston, we have waiting for you.”Kelly glanced irritably at them, then at Bella, sighing softly as she leaned close to Alex's ear."Sorry, Alex, I have to deal with these vultures. Keep an eye out—I might need rescuing."Alex rolled his eyes dismissively."They're all weaker than you, Kelly. As long as they don't intentionally provoke you, their old bones will be fine.""Who knows," Kelly muttered with a resigned shrug, moving reluctantly toward the middle-aged men hungry for favors and connections.Bella swiftly seized Alex's arm, pulling him to sit beside her.She launched immediately into cheerful chatter, leaving Shane feeling awkward and ignored by the two women.Scarlett glared daggers at Alex, a storm of inexplicable irritation clouding her face."Scarlett," Shane hissed suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Alex, "who exactly is that guy?"Scarlett smirked contemptuously, her voice dripping venom."Him?

There was a deafening silence in the private room—a quiet so intense it could've shattered glass.Shock had stolen every word from their tongues; the spectacle they'd just witnessed had left them stunned, breathless.Moments ago, Shane stood tall as their hero, an idol of raw strength, strutting like a champion—but now he lay sprawled on the floor, beaten and discarded like a mangy dog.Who the hell was this bald beast that demolished Shane with such ruthless ease?"I'm Kelly. State your purpose clearly," Kelly demanded, her voice steady but edged with ice.The towering brute turned slowly, his leering eyes crawling over Kelly's curves, dripping with crude hunger."Such beauty wasted in this place," he sneered lustfully.Then his gaze slid sideways, recognizing another familiar face."Bella Kane? Good. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. Your old man owes me plenty.""Enough!" Kelly snapped, stepping fiercely in front of Bella, shielding her protectively."Spit it out, what the

“You actually think you're man enough to kill me?” Henry laughed mockingly, his voice dripping with venomous disdain."Have you really thought this through? Do you have any idea what’ll happen the moment you lay a finger on me? My father will tear your world apart, limb by limb.”“Kelly Kingston—you're nothing but a stray pup the Kingstons pitied enough to toss scraps to. How dare you even look me in the eye, let alone threaten me?”“If you strike me down, you'll find yourself utterly alone, abandoned by every last soul you think supports you!”Henry Dupont's arrogant bravado was brittle, masking a festering wound of shame.He had shattered his family's expectations by failing to salvage SkinDew Essence, delivering a crippling blow to the Dupont Group — hemorrhaging their pharmaceutical empire and wiping out half their fortune in a single disastrous misstep.Desperation gnawed at him, driving one final, reckless gamble: seize control of Vermont and salvage whatever scraps were left of

The helicopter descended onto the heli-pad, its blades slicing viciously through the night air, stirring the shadows like a whirlwind of doom.As Henry’s lifeless body was carried from the craft and laid before Conrad Dupont, Conrad felt as though a thunderbolt had cleaved his soul in half.His face drained instantly of color, turning as white as a death shroud.“Who did this?” Conrad's voice erupted in an anguished roar, echoing across the landing pad.His eyes were wild, rimmed with red veins of fury, his entire frame trembling like a cornered beast.“Who dared spill Dupont blood?”“It—it was a man named Alex,” stammered his secretary, flinching under the weight of Conrad's feral gaze.“He’s Kelly Kingston's bodyguard.”“Alex, you miserable piece of filth!” Conrad howled, teeth grinding audibly, spittle flying from his lips.“You murdered my son—I'll rip your bones apart! I'll skin you alive!” Each word was laced with a promise of savage retribution.“Send out the word!” Conrad bark